Step Seven – Mourning

A man who is truly in mourning will never go back to high living, glory, anger, or irritability. Mourning is the kind of sorrow which belongs to the penitent soul whose pains multiply like those of a woman in childbirth. When we die, we will not be criticized for having failed to work miracles. but we will certainly have some explanation to offer to God for not having mourned unceasingly. – John Climacus, Step Seven of the Ladder of Divine Ascent

Do you think that John nailed the disease of our time 1,500 years ago? “High living, glory, anger, irritability.”

Actually, this is the human condition. Every generation seems to find the ways of its own.

Just as a good morning and evening practice is to check in with the good things that have come our way, we should also repent of these traits that cause strife and separation from God.